Really, it must be said...

...that, even though being a history major means days, nights, weeks, months of reading dull and dreary things about...say...Diefenbaker, every now and then we get thrown an awesome opportunity.
True, this opportunity also means piles of sleepless nights, researching and writing 3 lengthy essays, but it's the sources I'm talking about. The sources!!

I have to write a "historiographical" paper for my European History (16th and 17th century) class. I was going to do something on Cathrine/Kathrine/Catalina of Aragon (because I think she was an amazing woman) but I encountered problems.
See, with this essay, if the person or event was in the 16th century, then we need to find at least one source from the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th century. It's a 5% deduction for every missing century.
But see, most of the 16th century sources I've found on Kathrine are in Spanish. Well, she was a Spanish princess after all.
So I'm thinking of switching to Mary I, and discussing how her Catholic Reformation failed. It'll be fun, I think.

So this leads me back to sources. Oh, lovely sources.
My school's library is pro when it comes to history sources.
There are a few online databases that were subscribed to by Western just for European history students. Such as Early English Books Online (or EEBO), Eighteenth Century Collection Online (or ECCO), Historical Abstracts (Non-North American), and the English Short Title Catalogue Online (or ESTCO).

I was searching in EEBO for any early source on Mary, and came across a gem.
From 1554, it's a compilation of the (and the description is in the awesome english of the time)

"Actes made in the Parliament begon and holden at VVestminster, the v. day of October, in the fyrst yere of the reigne of our most gracious soueraigne lady Mary, by the grace of God, Queene of Englande, Fraunce, and Ireland, defender of the faith, & of the church of England, and of Ireland in earth the supreme head."

It's Mary's Acts. Her Acts! And there's a "The Table", which is basically a table of contents. A talbe of contents including "An Acte agaynst unlawfull and rebellious assembles" etc. Her Acts. Written down. Downloadable in image format. In their words. Thier words spoken in 1556.
To me, to any Mary I fans, this is big. It's her words. Her words, trying to bring together England, Ireland and Scotland (and attempting France) under one woman's shaky hand, trying to pull support amongst those now used to Protestantism into her Catholic hands and holding it up for the world to see that, yes, she is a woman but she can rule.

Unfortunately that didn't last very long (it lasted a whole five years, actually).
Her words...
Wow...
I think I'm sort of in love with EEBO and ECCO right now.
If you'll excuse me, I think it's time I searched some more.